Press Release

(Apple Valley, California, February 8, 2008) — In response to ongoing harassment of and threats of violence against gay and lesbian students at Granite Hills High School, Lambda Legal has sent an advocacy letter to the Apple Valley School District.

(San Francisco, February 6, 2008) — The California Supreme Court announced today that it will hear oral arguments on March 4 in the marriage cases challenging the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage.

Fifteen same-sex couples, Equality California, and Our Family Coalition will be represented at oral arguments by Shannon Price Minter, Legal Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, which is serving as co-counsel with Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union, Heller Ehrman LLP and the Law Office of David C. Codell.

(New York, February 4, 2008) — Statement from Lambda Legal Senior Counsel, Susan Sommer, on the decision in Martinez v. County of Monroe to recognize out-of-state marriages of same-sex couples in New York:

(New York, February 4, 2008) — Late Friday, the Montgomery County Circuit Court released its ruling affirming the right of the Montgomery County School Board to include medically accurate information about sexual orientation in the health education curriculum for 8th and 10th graders.

(New York, January 24, 2008) — Lambda Legal's Deputy Legal Director, Hayley Gorenberg, will provide testimony at tomorrow's New York City Council hearing regarding the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

(New Orleans, January 24, 2008) — The Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans has granted Lambda Legal's motion for summary judgment, and ruled that the city of New Orleans was within its authority when it granted health benefits to domestic partners of city employees and established a domestic partner registry for city residents.

(New York, January 24, 2008) — In oral arguments today, Lambda Legal urged the New York Supreme Court, Second Department, to follow the marriage recognition rule and reverse a lower court ruling denying recognition of Duke Funderburke's Canadian marriage to his partner of over four decades, Brad Davis.

(Springfield, IL, January 17, 2008) — In papers to be filed today at the Illinois Supreme Court, Lambda Legal asked the state high court to compel the Chief Judge and the Circuit Court Clerk of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit in Will County, to follow proper court procedure so Daunn Turner, a low-income, disabled transgender woman, can continue the process to legally change her name.

(Sacramento, California, January 11, 2008) — Equality California, the Gay-Straight Alliance Network, Lambda Legal, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), and the Transgender Law Center are pleased at the failure of a signature drive by a coalition of extreme right-wing groups to overturn civil rights protections for California students.

(Trenton, New Jersey, January 8, 2008) — As the new legislative session gets underway, Lambda Legal issued the following statement from Executive Director, Kevin Cathcart:

"Marriage equality for same-sex couples in New Jersey is inevitable — prolonging the wait leaves countless families across the state without the security and dignity of being able to explain to their children, their neighbors, or their children's teachers that they are married.